Car-coupling



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P. H. RICHARDS,

GAR COUPLING. No. 284,902. Patented Sept. 11, 1883.

-.(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.: F. H. RICHARDS.

- GAR COUPLING.

No. 284,902. Patented Sept. 11, 1883,

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1 EINITED STATES ATnNT Trice.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

-CAR-COL!FLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,902, dated September 11, 1883,

Application filed February 28, 1853.

To all whomit .may concern.-

Be it known that LFRANoIs H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oar- Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car-couplings adapted to be self-coupling by impact, or to be coupled to an ordinary link-andpin coupling in the absence of a coinciding pair upon the contiguous ends of two cars, the object being to provide an improved coupling of this class, which, while possessing unusual facilities for self-locking and surety against disconnection, adapts itself with great freedom to the positions of cars as they pass around sharp curves on the road.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure I illustrates, partly in section, the under side of the coupling or draw-bar frame usually applied under a car, and in con nection therewith a-car-coupling embodying my invention, shown in a locked position. Fig. II is a similar view to the above, but showingone head of the coupling in a position preparatory to disconnection. Fig. III illustrates, also, [said frame, in connection with parts of a coupling, partly in section' Fig.

IV is an end elevation of the couplinghead,

showing the usual coupling-pin therein and a section of a link attached thereto. Fig. V is an end elevation of a car, showing my coup- Fig. VI is a detail view.

Like letters refer to like parts in the several figures.

In applying my coupling to railway-cars I employ substantially the same draw-bar frame A, with its sliding stop-blocks a a, and the intermediate spring, 6, which are used with ordinary couplings.

The draw-bar B consists of a cylindrical rod having a head, Q), on itsforward end, and a pin, 0, passes transversely through it, near its opposite end.

The coupling-shank c is provided with a cylindrical head, and on its face, in a plane at right angles to said shank, are arranged a series of ratchet-teeth, 0c. Said shank c, at the rear of said head, is of rectangular form in crosssection for a short distance, and from thence (No modeL) to its rear end it is of cylindrical shape, and is perforated from end to end to allow said draw-bar B to pass through it.

g The coupling-head D is of rectangular form at its base, and has upon the rear'face of the latter a series of ratchet-teeth, x, corresponding in form and size to those before mentioned on shank c, and are adapted to interlock 'with the latter, as shown in the several figures. Each couplinghead D is provided with two coupling-hooks, z, which project therefrom in a horizontal direction from opposite corners thereof. The said hooks e have their outer surfaces properly curved, so that when two coupling-heads are pressed together from opposite directions they will slip past each other and interlock, as in Fig. I, and they are so out under on their faces which are in contact when under tension that they cannot then become disengaged. Said head D is provided with a central chamber, horizontal to its rear face, for the reception of the head 1; on said drawbar B, and the head is perforated at the base of said chamber to let said bar pass through it, thereby causing said head to be hung on and supported by the draw-bar. The said chamber and draw-bar hole in the head D are, as shown in Fig. III, quite large for said head '0 and the part of bar B which passes through the base of said head. This permits quite a free lateral motion for the head D, whereby it accommodates itself to a coupling which comes against it somewhat out of line,

and freely yields to the requisite lateral swing when the cars are passing around a curve, and otherwise permits of such a free swing of head D on the head of the draw-bar B as to let the head accommodate itself unrestrainedly to the movements of the train. The coupling-hooks z are provided with coupling-pin holes w, to provide, if need be, for uniting this coupling with one of ordinary construction by using the pin a and the ordinary link, m.

The above-described parts of this coupling are assembled together and secured to a car as follows: Head D is placed against the head of the shank c, with the teethx and w interlocking, as in Fig. I. The draw-bar B is passed through said head and shank, and the latter is placed in frame A, passing through the front block a and spring 6, and the latter is comioo pressed, as usual, between said two blocks, bar

B passing through the rear one, andbein g there secured by pin 0. In this position spring e operates to force bar B rearward and to draw the coupling-head D backward closely against the front end of shank 0, so that if head D, Fig. I, be turned to the left the inclined faces of teeth 00 and w slide one upon the other, and bar B and the rear block a are drawn forward, compressing spring 6; but if head D be now freed the action of said spring forces said head to assume its first position. The spring 6 also serves as the usual draw-spring.

It will be observed in Fig. I that the rear end of the shank c terminates a little forward of the rear block a, allowing the latter a certain amount of motion before it comes in con- .tact with the end of said shank. This permits head D.to move forward when turned on bar B, as aforesaid, and when being drawn upon under working tension, but not far enough to permit the points of 'the teeth on shank c and on head D to separate and lose their contact.

For the purpose of turning the head D to disconnect the coupling and toso operate it without going between the cars and from the top of the latter, the head-yoke cl is employed. Said yoke is of a suitable iron construction, made in the form shown in Fig. V, and attached to the head D by a bolt which passes through the base thereof,'near one side. Said yoke has a handle extending to one side of the car through a support, h, and a lifting-rod, g, isatt ached thereto and extends just above the car-roof, as shown, H representing the end of a car. Thus by seizing the handle to yoke d, or by drawing up on rod the head D is so turned as to disengage its hook z from another coupling, as shown in Fig. II.

The operation of this coupling will from the foregoing detail description be easily understood. WVhen two cars provided with said coupling run together endto end, the ends of the hooks 2 on the opposite couplings strike each other on their outer curved surfaces, whereby one or both of said hooks are caused to rotate on the head of draw-barB and against the toothed end of shank a, letting the points of said hooks pass each other, when the force of spring 6, which forces the toothed faces of head D and shank 0 strongly one against the other, causes said head or heads to turn back and the hooks z to become firmly locked together, as in Fig. I.

WVhat I claim as my invention is In a car-coupling, the head D, provided with two coupling-hooks standing in a horizontal position thereon, and with a series of ratchetteeth upon its rear end, the shank 0, provided with a series of ratchet-teeth on its front end, adapted to interlock with said teeth on head D, the draw-bar B, passing through said head and shank, a spring to draw said barrearward, and means, substantially as described, for securing the abovedescribed parts to a car, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

\Vitnesses R. F. HYDE, WM. H. CHAPIN. 

